Judge This Book By The Cover
by thesunnyhours
Summary: Brennan and Booth's relationship looks a lot clearer when viewed from a stranger's perspective...
1. Chapter 1

**This is (probably) a oneshot. I would like to do a series of 'from a stranger's point of view' fics, but I think I would probably end up telling the same story just with different narrators each time, so I don't know yet if I will. How about you tell me if you want more chapters, and then I'll decide. Deal? Okay, deal.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones in any way, shape or form. The narrator of this story, however,_ is_ all my own invention.**

**Enjoy...**

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I like it when the sun rises slowly so that the sky turns purple and orange, and when you actually see the hand of the clock move. I like it when cars pull over to let ambulances past, and mornings where the grass is dewy and the mist hangs low. I like it when you open a book for the first time, and anything could be between those two covers. I like people-watching. I like wondering where they have come from, why they are in my diner, who they live with, who they love, what their childhood was like. They are all mysteries, just like books. Between these people's covers, there could be any story, any feeling, any past. Don't you find it amazing, that all that _life_ is just sitting there in front of you, hidden away? Or at least, people think it is hidden away. But if you watch for long enough, like I do, then it is easy to start seeing more. It becomes easy to understand what sort of story is going to pan out on their pages. This is why life is better than books. No matter how long you study the cover of a book for, you can never learn any more than when you first saw it.

But I knew before it happened that the man with the red hair had some bad news to tell. And that it wasn't the first time, either.

I knew that the man that always carried an umbrella, even in summer, hated his job. It was never what he had wanted to do, to wear suits and live in the city. He didn't want to be a high-flyer, but he was, at least in one sense of the word.

I knew that the man and lady who came in every morning for breakfast, seperately and alone, would one day start to talk; become friends. Now, they still come in every morning, always together.

Working in this diner day after day, hour after hour, you get lucky. You sometimes get to bear witness to things that people themselves haven't even noticed yet. Take this one example:

When they come alone, they both always sit there, over in that corner, in the same seats and at the same table. They both look strangely dissapointed to be alone, as if they somehow need the other to complete the jigsaw. I don't think they even realise this is what they are feeling. But I see them looking at the empty seat opposite whilst they eat, and glancing at the door slightly more often than necessary just in case the other comes in. They are always quiet; subdued.

The lady always pulls out a file, or her laptop, but she never seems to get that much work done. The man always fiddles in some way, flipping something that looks like a poker chip in his hand absent-mindedly, or folding up the napkin into a swan; a boat; a hat.

One day her phone rings; I hear her end of conversation, because the rest of the diner is almost empty:

"I'm in the diner."

"Yeah."

"No, I haven't yet."

"Okay...Yeah, I'm here on my own."

"I'll see you in a minute."

When she puts the phone down I can see her change immediately, as if something inside her has just woken up.

When they come in together, they are like different people, and they don't stop talking. Anyone else would think that they hated each other, because a lot of their conversations tend to turn into arguments. But I can see past this. You remember at school, when hating someone meant that you fancied them? Exactly.

Even when they do sit in silence, usually late in the evening, when I imagine they have just had a hard day at work, it is never awkward. It is always as if they have both silently recognised that words at that point are not necessary. Sometimes when they do this, I see their eyes connect, and they will look at each other for several moments, unflinchingly. I can practically feel the electricity coursing between them when they do this. Sometimes, from the look in his eyes, I wouldn't have been suprised if the man had just leant over the table and kissed her right there and then, in front of everyone. And probably the only ones that would have been shocked by the action would have been them.

At the moment, they might have no idea. But one day they will realise. One day it will suddenly click. Something that strong always comes out eventually, I know. I have seen enough to understand. After all, everyone always says that a picture is worth a thousand words.

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**So, did you like it?**


	2. Letters Home

**Okay, so I said I wasn't sure if I would write more chapters, but obviously I decided to! This idea just came to me, and I hope it stays original. It is in the form of an email between two friends living on opposite sides of the pond.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones, but it's on my Christmas list!**

**Hope you like it...**

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Dear Jess, 

I'm sitting in a cafe at the moment, on my laptop. Well, it's a 'diner' actually. Everything has different names over here. Apparently I'm eating a salad with roast eggplant, but it tastes a lot like aubergine to me. On my way here, someone was telling their child not to step off the 'sidewalk' and I had to stop myself from saying "No! It's a called a _pavement_. Pavement!"

It's silly how things as tiny as that make me feel so alien here. I mean, we speak the same language, we look the same, we have the same films at the cinema, but somehow I feel so distant. I have been here for three weeks already (hasn't time flown by?) but I haven't even begun to feel at home yet. I just long for some proper English food, like roast beef with mash potato and yorkshire pudding, followed by a big bowl of spotted dick with custard. Can you imagine if I even said that in front of people here? "I want some spotted dick." I'd probably get arrested for public indecency!

Two people have just come into the cafe and are sitting at the table in front of me. The lady is closest, with the man opposite, so he is facing me, and God, he is _hot_. I wonder if I could discretely take a photo? I want to send it to you so you can enjoy this view too! I'll just have to describe him. He's got big brown eyes, and really, really muscular arms. His hair is quite short and dark, and wow, he's gorgeous. Shit, he's looking at me. I hope he didn't notice me staring! Crap, I think he did. The lady just turned to look at me too. He must have told her. I'll just smile politely. Phew.

I hope that lady is not his girlfriend. I bet she is though. She's thin and pretty and intelligent looking. Of course his sort would have a perfect girlfirend like that. I wouldn't stand a chance even if he wasn't taken. Oh dear, they've just started having an argument. God, I fell so nosy, listening in, but it's quiet in here. I can't help hearing, and the waitress is listening in too. She's not serving anyone, and her eyes keep flicking over in this direction. Or maybe she's just looking at the hot guy like me!

I wonder if he comes in here often? I could definitely cope with a job here if he does. I'm sure he could make me feel at home. Yeah, he just ordered without looking at the menu. Definitely a regular. I wonder if there are any jobs going?!

And before you say anything, no, I'm not about to give my job up quite yet, it has only been three weeks after all. I do still feel a bit like the novelty Englishwoman, but I guess that's to be expected. I mean, imagine if someone American came to work in your office. For the first few weeks you'd just take the mick out of their accent, and talk about football all the time to confuse them, and make jokes about George Bush, right? That's what it's like. They keep talking about Monty Python and asking if I've met the Queen!

I just stopped writing for a few minutes to eat my salad, and now Hot Couple's food has turned up. There's no doubt about it now, they've got to be a couple. She's stealing his chips, and he's pretending to be annoyed. Wow, he's hot when he smiles like that. And they got over their argument pretty easily. But then again, it did seem like it was about someting quite petty. A proper couples' argument, you know? Like:

"What shall we watch on telly tonight?"

"How about --insert good TV show here--?"

"Nah, don't fancy it."

"Well, I'd quite like to watch it. We watched football yesterday."

"I've got the remote control. My rules. Sorry."

"You're so bossy."

"That's why you love me, right?"

--she hits him with a cushion--

--kissing ensues, TV forgotten--

Okay, off on a tangent a bit there, but you get the idea, I'm sure. I'd say they have been going out at least a few months. They must have done.

Aww, they're so cute! He just touched her hand, and now they're looking at each other, all smiles. She's just said something that made him laugh, and now he's leaning in for a kiss. I'm going to stop looking. I'm not that nosy! Okay, who am I kidding, I am that nosy. He didn't kiss her though, just moved their faces a lot closer together. They can't keep their eyes off each other, and he's just put his hand softly under her chin. They only stop like that for a moment though. Now he's leaning back in his seat again, and they are both laughing at something. She's leaning on the table to get closer to him again. They are totally in love. Could they be any less subtle about it? God, give a single woman a break please! They are just too cute together, it is making me feel lonely!

Anyway, I'm sure you didn't really want to read some monologue about someone else's love-life. I was planning on telling you how the last few days have been, but I'll just write again tomorrow. And I'll try not to get quite so sidetracked!

Lots of Love,

Tara xxx

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**Reviews will be gratefully recieved and rewarded with cake! **

**Oh, and by the way, the little TV argument was based on real life (_my_ real life)...so thanks for that inspiration Cal :-) **


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